How Do You Get A 2 Yr Old Sleep Through The Night?

[kiwibabee]

This is my 4th child, you would think I would know how to get him to sleep through the night, but I am at a loss.

He wakes up in the night and comes into our room. I used to put him in bed with us, now I take him back into his bed and lay by him. I try to leave him, but he always know when I am gone and comes and finds me again.

I can't let cry himself to sleep as we are living with relatives. I would get him a crib, but we have no room.

I just don't know what to do, I am so tired.

[smilerlse]

Creme de la Creme a la Edgar...

ie-sleeping pills...

JK!! haha

I don't know... maybe tire him more? make him run around like a looney! lol jk again... Play him a movie? or music?

I'm not a mom, but if I think of anything... or hear anything... i'll let you know...

[sixpacktr]

Do what I did: tell them there are monsters in the hall between their room and mommy and daddy's room, that loves to eat little kids. Tell them the monsters are invisible, and you can only see their shadows, so you never know when they'll grab you...Then shut your door and turn up the white noise or some other such thing to drown out the yelling in the middle of the night!

That way they may not get a lot of sleep at night, but you'll sleep very well!

[rosie321]

You've probably already done these already -

How old is he? When does he get his nap? Maybe cut back in the naptimes or changing them to earlier?

Tire him out more as suggested above.

Go for a drive with him in his pajamas. Drive around 'til he falls asleep. Then carefully put him to bed.

Gentle nighttime music can be soothing. Does he have a night time buddy to sleep with (the stuffed kind:) ?

Have a night time wound down time routine before he goes to bed.

Avoid sugars and the like which might get him going.....

[Gabelma]

have you room to put his mattress next to your bed? - with me Mum used to leave me with toys and sandwiches and a light i could turn on. At 31 I still don't sleep through the night. If it helps Jesus wouldhave slept with his parents until he was 3or4

-Charley

[rosie321]

How old is he?

Replying to How Do You Get A 2 Yr Old Sleep Through The Night?

Boy do I feel stupid :)

Hope you found some things through all the posts that helps

[Alaskagain]

Oh, my this is your fourth child. . . and you are living with relatives.

Have you recently moved in with the relatives? Did he give up a room of his own and familiar surroundings? Was he sleeping in a room with the other children and isn't now? Is he sleeping in a room /bed with the others and he had his own before? or has he always done this? Is he having bad dreams? There are lots of things to consider here!

rosie has some great suggestions, and six is only a card.

Without knowing the answers to any of the above questions, a suggestion:

Next time he comes into your room, pick him up and cuddle with him while you are walking back to his bed. Tell him you are very glad he came to visit you because you don't like to be away from him for very long. Then go thru the whole night time ritual of going to sleep again. Tuck him back in and tell him you are right in the other room and will see him in the morning.

[Annabelli]

Can't remember the title/author (sorry). It is a story about a baby boy bunny who cannot sleep all night. Mother Rabbit decides to take advantage of the time to have him help her with the house cleaning chores.

After everyone has went to sleep, baby bunny comes to her room. She gets up and they go to the kitchen and wash the dishes and put them away. Next they dust the living room and put all the toys and books away.

After several more chores and about two hours has passed, baby bunny goes to his room and falls asleep.

The point of the story is that some people cannot sleep because of things that are not finished and toddlers cannot deal effectively with procrastination. toddlers are very structured human beings.

[chachy]

Both my kids went through phases of wanting to sleep in my bed, and would often get up through the night, but I wasn't having it, no matter how tired I was, I would lift them up and tell them in whispers that it was night time, and that meant sleep, and that I would tuck them in and come back in five minutes to check on them, then I would do just that, if they were out their beds again, I would go through the routine again, if they were in their bed but awake I would praise them for staying in their beds, then give them a kiss and tell them I was going back to bed. It was very rarely I had to do this for more than an hour, they tire themselves out eventually.The younger the child, the quicker they will get the message, so a two year old should only take a week or so to get it. Because you are living with relatives, if you were going to do it, I would sit down and tell them in advance, that way everyone can prepare themselves for a bit of night disruption, but in the long run, it's better for everyone to have a good nights sleep.

Also, maybe he is anxious about living with other people? Lots of extra attention and reassurance during the day could maybe help? I always found the kids sleep would be off if there was a big upheaval going on, and a little bit of extra TLC often helped them feel more secure.

Hope this helps, and in the meantime, if you can, have a nap when he is at nursery/with relatives/just generally not about, gives you way more stamina to make it through the night!! Good Luck!!